Tough questions asked on Cape Cod Commission

After reading John Lipman's April 28 My View, "Debate issues, not the commission," it struck me that Mr. Lipman referred to the Cape Cod Commission as an institution of democracy here on Cape Cod.

capecodtimes.com

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Posted May. 9, 2014 at 2:00 AM
Updated May 13, 2014 at 12:20 AM

Posted May. 9, 2014 at 2:00 AM
Updated May 13, 2014 at 12:20 AM

» Social News

After reading John Lipman's April 28 My View, "Debate issues, not the commission," it struck me that Mr. Lipman referred to the Cape Cod Commission as an institution of democracy here on Cape Cod.

Bureaucracy, like the former Soviet Politburo, yes. Democratically elected representative government — the kind most U.S. citizens are accustomed to — unequivocally no. That's why people across Cape Cod are beginning to ask tough questions that should have been asked 20 years ago:

What does this agency actually do?

Who makes up this agency?

Are the people who make it up electable or accountable to the people they purportedly represent?

What recourse do voters have if they don't agree with an outdated and potentially corrupt implementation of the "smart growth" strategy the Cape Cod Commission has been espousing since its inception?

What controls exist to moderate growth and corruption within this agency, which has now grown to 40 individuals and a multimillion-dollar-per-year budget?

The Cape Cod Commission has recently touted its achievements in Orleans. The open question remains: What has it actually done here that wouldn't have been done anyway without it?